Lost in the Thorns
by Parker-I-like-pancakes
Summary: AU where Regina and Robin keep meeting as they're travelling around the UK. Events in different locations lead to them perhaps falling for each other?
1. Chapter 1

"Tourist Information This Way" read the withered signpost which stood in close proximity to where Regina was precariously balancing her compass on her map alongside her camera, mobile phone and sunscreen. Granted, this was Britain, but the sun could still deliver its stinging bite when it so wished to. Huffing in annoyance, she juggled the items as she made her way over to the misshapen brown shack where a young lad hung lazily out of the serving window.

"Excuse me?" Regina asked politely, earning the boy's attention as he lifted his mop head of hair and looked at her with disinterest.

"Will there be any tours of the area on today?"

"Four of 'em. Ten, noon, two and four."

Glancing at her watch, she realised it was already a half past two.

"In that case I'll take a ticket for the four o'clock tour please." Regina replied as she rifled through her purse for ticket money.

"That'll be £12.50 please ma'am."

"Thank you." She said, smiling pleasantly in return to the lad before wandering towards a nearby cafe with quaint wooden tables outside the front window.

—

Whilst waiting to pay the bill for her cornish pasty (odd fare yet utterly delicious) Regina noticed a small group of people making their way over to the meeting point for the tour. A couple in their thirties or so, an older man, a student girl and a guy in a khaki green barbour jacket, carrying a rucksack not dissimilar to her own, who wasn't too bad on the eye, she admitted to herself shyly. He was tall, well, taller than she stood at 5"4, with slight stubble and china blue eyes. His smile was handsome, she noted, as he ambled past her table and looked at her in a friendly manner.

Following the others, Regina hastily left a £10 note on the table and hurriedly grabbed her things, trying to catch up with the group.

"Now everyone, we will firstly be taking a tour of the cornish hill side, the views are magnificent and well worth the hike, shall we begin?" The cornish gentleman gestured towards the route with his hand and signalled for the group to follow.

Due to watching carefully where she walked, Regina didn't notice the presence of the man who passed her table before, beside her.

"Afternoon Milady." He smiled again. Startled, she looked up and smiled when she was met with his comforting gaze yet again along with his glorious British accent, so crisp and royal.

"Afternoon…" She looked at him questioningly, seeking his name.

"Robin. And you are?"

"Regina."

"Pleasure to meet you Regina." He responded as he reached out to take her hand and gently kiss it on the knuckles, making her blush profusely.

"You too." There was silence for a while before they spoke again.

"So what brings you to Cornwall?" He asked not looking at her, instead carefully watching where he was treading as they hiked up a crumbling hill side.

"Oh, well I'm touring the UK for a while, sort of a gap year I suppose, and you?"

"Big fan of nature milady, sure it may seem like a bit of a joke considering my name is Robin Hood but I do enjoy being outdoors. Even if this isn't Sherwood forest." He joked, smirking and raising an eyebrow towards her.

—

They had trekked for an hour now. Blisters had started to creep their way up Regina's ankles, her shoes and socks chaffing against her skin causing it to redden and sting. All of the group had lost count over how many hills they had managed to climb in the short time, but Robin had managed to keep her in good company, supplying her with someone to talk endlessly to, on their journey as they simultaneously took in the picturesque views they could see from the great heights.

Their conversation was cut short as they felt the group begin to slow down.

"Hey, what's going on?" A concerned Robin asked the tour guide who was puzzling over an old map.

"I uh- uh think we may have um- taken a wrong turn somewhere, this isn't where we are supposed to be…"

"Well then where are we?"

The guide laughed nervously.

"I'm not exactly sure sir."

"Hold on. You're saying we're lost?" Regina chimed in with the rest of the group behind her mumbling in tones of annoyance.

"Kinda."

"Unbelievable." Regina huffed and held a hand to her forehead, wondering what in the world they were going to do.

"Well Robin Hood, you like the outdoors, get us back to Sherwood Forest if you please." She grinned, looking towards him smugly. Even he had no idea where they were, how far they had steered off course, this could take them a good few hours…

"My pleasure milady, anything for a queen." He winked and gave her a mock bow to which she curtsied in a sarcastic manner.

"My hero." She answered cheekily.


	2. Chapter 2

**SORRY, I've been hectic with dance, let us proceed dear readers…**

They'd been sat in the middle of a large field for some hours now, puzzling over where they should try to head to next. Regina groaned in frustration…

"So you're saying you _still_ have no idea where we are? Where we go from here? What we're going to do?"

"Hey look, I'm not the tour guide here, don't go taking this out on me!" Robin huffed in annoyance.

"Well do you have a clue as to what we are going to do, I mean it's getting pretty dark out here we won't be able to find our way back till the morning by the looks of things!" Regina now directed her questions towards the anxious looking tour guide who was wringing his hands together.

"Uh… maybe she's right we should make a camp for the night."

"We have no things!" "Are you joking?" "No way!" Came the replies, for alas the group had not a blanket between them.

"That's the only option I'm afraid."

The entire group were thoroughly displeased by this point but nevertheless began arranging some form of sleeping arrangement around the large oak tree which provided some shelter from the cornish wind and should it come to it, the rain.

Regina Mills could not believe this. This was not the holiday she imagined. Sipping lemonade in sunny St. Ives and exploring the countryside, yes. But no, not this, not stuck in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of strangers with nothing to keep her warm. This was going to be a challenge.

—

As the hours passed and the sun slowly disappeared from the sky with it's last peek over the horizon causing a red glow overhead, the group began to settle down. The couple in their thirties, whom Regina had witnessed fawning over each other for the entire day were currently huddled together at the trunk of the oak tree. The elderly man had already dozed off, the occasional snore coming from his direction, and the student girl sat cross legged in the grass, her nose buried in what seemed to be a captivating novel. That only left— Robin. Regina took her time to study him as he began to unpack a few things from his large backpack. Torch, jumper and—

"A sleeping bag!" Regina exclaimed, to which she was shushed instantly by him.

"Shh! Are you crazy? Don't let the others hear or they'll be wanting to use it!"

"Oh, yeah sorry 'bout that." There was a pause.

"I don't suppose you'd… like to share it?"

Regina looked at him, her eyes opening widely in surprise, causing him to stutter wildly.

"I— I didn't mean… not—not in any way like that. I'm sorry i just assumed… you have nothing with you… I was j—just wondering in case you were cold…that's all." Regina giggled instantly, even more so when a blush crept up on Robin's cheeks with embarrassment, this just caused her to laugh even harder.

"Sure."

"Sure?"

"Sure, I'll share with you, I don't exactly fancy catching hypothermia out here."

"Right! I'll um— I'll just unzip it so it's kind of a blanket over us I guess."

"Sounds like a plan." She continued to watch him hurriedly unravel the sleeping bag, unzip it and lay it on the ground. With that, she began to take off her thin jumper and hiking shoes.

Robin was staring. (Until he realised he was that is.) At that point he quickly averted his eyes and took to doing the same, getting into as close to 'sleeping attire' as he could. Although, not exactly, at home he always slept in just his grey sweat pants, nothing more. However, tonight didn't really call for such an informal approach, especially in the presence of company. (Beautiful company) His subconscious added.

—

Both Robin and Regina lay uncomfortably on the grassy floor, whilst the rest of the camp slept soundly.

"Are you awake?" Regina whispered.

"Mhmm." Both were on their backs looking up at the sky which was now littered with tiny pockets of light.

"Can't sleep?"

"Can't sleep." Robin affirmed.

"I'm absolutely freezing!"

"Oh I know."

"Hmm?"

"Your foot brushed my leg about half an hour ago, a bit on the chilly side I must say. Would it have killed you to have worn some socks?"

"Sock and sandals? I don't think so."

Robin chuckled, then turned to face her. "See this isn't so bad."

"Isn't it?"

"Well for one, we're getting to just look at the unpolluted sky, you can see every single star just lying here…and I suppose the company I have is not totally dreadful." Robin evaluated.

"Oh how flattered I am sir." Regina joked then shuddered again. "Okay now it's not funny, I really am beyond freezing. I was right when I said hypothermia."

Robin reached beneath the sleeping bag and tugged his jumper off, leaving him bare chested, and handed it to Regina.

"You can't be serious. You'll freeze."

"I'll be fine just take it you stubborn woman." Robin joked as he offered it to her again.

Regina pulled the long sleeved woollen jumper over her head and was instantly soothed by the warmth it still possessed from Robin.

"Thank you Robin."

"You're very welcome Milady. Now get some sleep, it could be a long journey back tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Night." She turned away from him and huddled closer to herself, containing as much as heat as she could. She'd be kidding herself if she didn't acknowledge the woodsy smell the jumper came with. Pine, like an entire pine forest, and what a delicious scent it was. Before she drifted into sleep she rightfully mused that the scent suited him to a tee. 'The man who smelt like forest.'


End file.
